Defiant Wishes
by ade5kira
Summary: The sequel to Destiny. Takes place roughly two years after the ending of Destiny. RenOC, HaoOC, and other pairings that have not yet been confirmed. The gang reunite with Lyn again, but not everything is as it was two years before.
1. The English Schoolgirl with a Katana

**Disclaimer: Do not own shaman king.**

**This is a chapterless story. Think of it as an act by act procedure, which means lengths might be inconsistent, but the point comes across. ;)**

**Alright, if you haven't read Destiny, you're probably more confused than those who did, although perhaps just a little bit. I'll be explaining more as we go along, don't worry.**

**The English Schoolgirl with a Katana**

_Soon…I was supposed to meet her soon…_

Ren slashed at the monstrosity before him with Kwan Dao, stabbing backward with the pointed end just in time to stop a second attack. He could hear the heavy breathing of all his companions, and could feel himself getting frantic.

_Just ahead…she's waiting just ahead…_

If only they could call upon their oversouls, he would be able to end this in a flash. With a gasp, Ren found himself being dragged down by some immense force that felt like it would rip his body apart if he resisted it any further.

_Aizawa…_

The name brought a sudden burst of defiance out of Ren, who had stopped thinking logically the moment this insanity had begun. Deciding that he could throw Kwan Dao in his current state, he aimed at the cloaked man standing a distance away.

He couldn't remember how long the man had been standing there, he wasn't even sure how they had gotten into the situation they were in. All he knew was that every pore in his body was screaming at him to run, but his pride as a Tao shouted back in defiance, his instinct honed by numerous battles telling him that the man was the cause of their troubles.

_Just a flick of the wrist…aim...throw._

And throw he did, which was a bad decision as he found out the moment his trusty spear left his hands. From there, everything seemed to get a whole lot worse.

For some reason, the man had been standing in the air, a fact that seemed to have eluded Ren's senses. He could only gape as Kwan Dao soared upwards, missing the man by an inch before the blade twisted downward as if it was a hundred times heavier than the end. The blade which had been his ally looked quite different now that it was pointed at him.

With an abruptness that could not have been in any way natural, the spear hurtled down towards Ren with an acceleration impossible for its weight. He heard Yoh groan something from towards his right. Or maybe it was his left. All sense of direction was lost to Ren in his world, now warped by the huge pressure pulling his whole body ground-ward. Even worse, those monstrosities, now seemingly larger in number, were leering down at him with their salivated blood-stained fangs.

And then, it was over. Just like that.

* * *

His eyes wandered up her slim legs, past her knitted skirt that didn't even reach halfway to her knees, drinking in her form. Still caught in a half-daze, he found himself staring at her long chocolate hair, reaching up to her shoulder blades, as it shifted with the strong sea breeze, orange streaks seeming to glint under the sunlight.

There was something strangely familiar about her figure as she stood low, in a stance that was ready for battle with her sword held slightly above her forehead, that gave him the feeling that he knew it, yet it seemed so shrouded in mystery that he found himself wondering how he could know someone like her. Still, there was something in him that wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms, hold on so tight and whisper sweet nothings in her ears.

"Stop gawking, Ren." He turned at the sound of Yoh's harsh whisper, and realized that his jaw was wide open. Embarrassed, he hurriedly shut his jaw, clenching it together so hard it hurt before turning back to the girl.

_Dammit, she's no Lyn._

"Thanks for your help from…whatever those things were…" Yoh told the girl in his normal cheerful tone. Yet, Ren could sense a tone of restrain that reminded him of their situation. They were in a foreign country, not even sure if they had come to the right place, and they had been attacked for no apparent reason, and to top it all off, this girl came to their rescue at just the right time. Even Yoh would probably feel a little distanced and unwilling to get friendly.

Then again, it probably was because Yoh wasn't very fluent at English.

So there they were, stuck in England, thrown completely off-guard. Imagine their surprise then, when the girl responded in Japanese.

"What, two years, I let my hair grow a little and I'm suddenly a totally different person?" Her voice was relaxed and her laugh, familiar. Ren's eyes widened when the girl turned around, revealing a pair of dark blue eyes, sparkling with an easy laughter, teeth showing in an all too familiar grin.

"Lyn!" The girl suddenly found her arms full as Kaede ran forward, flinging her arms around Lyn's neck and burying her face into Lyn's shoulder, where she promptly began sobbing. Silently, Lyn put an arm around Kaede, running a hand through her hair comfortingly, a strangely sad smile that seemed at home on her face.

This was wrong. Ren shook his head in wonderment. It was not right for such a sad expression to look fitting on Lyn.

_What in the world happened these past two years? She still seemed fine when we met her at China…_

"Isn't this great, Ren?" The purple haired shaman looked up at Yoh blankly, unsure of whether to nod or shake his head. Inside of him was a torrent of emotions, waving around wildly, uncertainly.

He was glad to see Lyn again, fit as a fiddle. But that joy came accompanied by doubt and uncertainty. It had been two years since they'd last met. How much would she have changed?

Did she still feel the same way?

Ren bit his lower lip and clenched his chest tightly with his right hand, trying hard to suppress the uncomfortable feeling building up there, fast becoming unbearable. With a low moan, he sank to his knees slowly. For some reason, his senses felt heightened, to the point where Yoh's concerned eyes on him felt like they were burning a hole through his skin.

_Love only drags you down._

Ren gasped as he looked into the icy stare of the cold-blooded killer who had once been him. Staring into his reflection, he could feel his pulse quicken, his breathing grow heavier. He had stopped believing that long ago, during the first round of the shaman fights, after he had met Yoh.

That part of him couldn't still be existent…

A roar of pain erupted from his throat as his skin seemed to burn, and his over sensitized nerves sent waves of agony rushing through his body. His lungs felt like they were on fire, the air too heavy to breathe.

A malicious smirk.

Followed by pain tearing through every ligament in his body, something so unbearable he expected blackness to follow. Yet somehow, as if fate reveled in his suffering, he remained fully conscious, his enhanced senses screaming at him in a medley of agony.

Desperately, defiantly, he staggered up, biting down on his tongue until it was wet with blood. He stared his twin in the eye, a wave of nausea hitting him as the figure before him suddenly blurred, and became a strange looking boy.

With a jolt, the world spun, and Ren found himself falling to the ground. As he hit the ground, his body was wrapped in agony, which faded into numbness as all his senses, overly heightened before, seemed to disappear completely.

The only thing he could feel was his skin burning. Then, a pair of gentle hands, cool on his cheeks.

And Lyn's voice, which didn't really sound all that different.

**Lol. That's it for the beginning.**


	2. She Bears the Crest of Eagles

**Disclaimer: Don't own Shaman King.**

**Heh, this update comes after a really long wait, sorry bout that, I just had issues with it that led to a block and a long break from updating. -.-**

**I'll try and get the next update up before I leave for Vietnam next Thursday, I really hope I keep to it this time. :/**

**Anyway. Not much action here, but updates you readers a little bit on what's up with Lyn. Just a little bit. =)**

**She Bears the Crest of Eagles**

Hao walked along silently, observing his surroundings and the people inhabiting it as he followed Lyn, who was leading the rest of the group towards a tall white building.

Whitewashed walls stood between them and a majestic looking building, topped by roofs which were a shade of red worn down by decades of sun, wind and rain, beige walls showing signs of having been painted recently.

Walking on the grassy slopes of the gentle hill, Hao noted that the people here wore what most would consider country fashion, clothes that were comfortable and well-worn instead of the stiff fabrics the city-folk wore.

It seemed like such a peaceful place, and Hao simply could not picture Lyn in such a place. At least, not the Lyn he had known. The younger, more hyperactive her, would have caused a ruckus in such a place. But she seemed calmer now.

Casting a glance at the boy lying still on his twin's back, Hao felt like he could understand Ren's pain. He'd had his own difficulties with Kaede, and they had been together all this time. To suddenly see Lyn like that, and so different too, must have been a big shock.

And that was without considering the rest of the stress Ren had put himself under. Knowing the purple-haired shaman, he would have kicked himself about everything he had been unable to find answers to.

Why Lyn had come that day in China. Why she hadn't stayed. Why they hadn't been able to use their oversouls earlier.

"A Tao knows everything. Nothing ever eludes us."

At the thought, Hao could not help but to roll his eyes. The Tao had too much pride at times. Although he seemed to have mellowed, it was simple to see that he had simply been bottling everything up.

Hao's train of thought came to an abrupt halt as they arrived at the gates, towering magnificently above them, bearing the awe-inspiring form of an eagle at the top of the guard towers on both sides.

He hadn't seen a castle gate like this since his last lifetime 500 years ago.

* * *

"So, where exactly is this place, Lyn?" Hao asked wonderingly as they walked through the garden, populated by students wearing uniforms similar to Lyn's in design, blazers adorned with the school emblem, the same one borne by the flags earlier. Perhaps the only difference was in the color, the seemingly standard cream as compared to the navy that Lyn wore.

And the collar-pin Lyn had on, a design consisting of a cross of swords before an eagle whose talons carried a banner with the words "Noblesse Oblige" etched on, the entire badge cast in gold.

"This is my boarding school," Lyn replied with a grin, as she raised her hand in reply to a shouted greeting from one of the girls.

"BOARDING SCHOOL?" HoroHoro, Choco Love and Ryu yelled in unison, garnering strange looks from all within hearing range, which, admittedly, was quite large. Hao hid his face behind his right hand in embarrassment, wondering if somehow, it would be possible that he hadn't already been associated with those three idiots.

"I'll explain later. It's a long story," Lyn laughed again, the same laugh she had been giving since they had started walking. A halfhearted one, although it would have passed unnoticed to most people. A chance look cast at his twin confirmed his thoughts. The chocolate haired shaman was chuckling, without a hint of suspicion on his face.

They rounded a corner and Lyn opened a small gate in a fenced off area of the garden. Silently, Hao noticed that the only students in this garden were those who were wearing the navy blazers. Perhaps they were the elite of the school? Hao had to stifle a laugh of disbelief at the thought. Lyn was quick thinking, alright, but she definitely was not what one would consider good at her studies.

Lyn gave him a strange look, as if she knew what he was thinking, and he smiled kindly at her. She rolled her eyes skyward in an exasperated fashion, flashing a grin at him before she turned away and walked towards one of the boys reading a book under one of the trees in the garden, who answered her by shaking his head solemnly.

From a distance, Hao could hear only part of their whispered conversation, but he raised his eyebrows skeptically when he heard the name "Shinn".

And speak of the devil, the brown haired teen walked toward them with a serious look in his eyes. He bent over as Lyn whispered something in his ear, and nodded, all the while keeping his eyes locked on their group.

Shinn wasn't wearing the school uniform the rest had been wearing, which made sense, seeing as he was probably attending a university by now. Still, the same collar-pin Lyn had been wearing glinted on his collar. Hao had the feeling that the siblings were involved in a scheme far more complex than any of them had anticipated from Lyn's irregular letters.

Shinn straightened and said something to Lyn, who nodded and ran off through a door from the garden to a nearby building. He then approached the group, his eyes seeming to be looking right through their physical bodies. For one of the few times across his many lifetimes, Hao found himself feeling naked to the core, an uncomfortable feeling he detested right down to his bones.

When he spoke, however, Hao found himself trusting he who had been their enemy previously. His tone was not the same hateful one it had once been.

"You guys will have to remain here, I'll be bringing Ren in for treatment." His expression was dead serious, the kind that meant protests would not be tolerated. Hao let out a breath of exasperation and walked toward a nearby tree, leaning against the trunk. He would let it go this time, since this seemed to be what Lyn wanted. But he would get answers, and soon.

* * *

He watched the new group with displeasure clearly showing in his emerald eyes, his lips pursed as he directed a hard stare at the boy whom Shinn was carrying on his back. He had been watching them since they had entered the school compound, and he hadn't liked what he had seen.

His eyes narrowed as the door burst open and Lyn stepped out, exchanging a look with Shinn and replying his look with a bashful grin. Shinn smiled a small smile, ruffling her hair as he walked past her into the building, and she followed after waving to the new group.

He had watched her long enough to realize what her grin meant, and he didn't like it one bit.

He would test them.

Especially that boy with the purple hair styled into a tongari.


	3. Feelings of é Past, Doubts of é Present

**Disclaimer: Don't own Shaman King.**

**This took longer than expected. Was stumped as to how to introduce the first scene in a manner to my liking. Heh.**

**This act is longer than both of the ones before, so don't say I didn't warn you. :P**

**Feelings of the Past, Doubts of the Present**

_China; The Great Wall; 22 months ago_

"It's nice and warm up here! Perfect for a nap!" Oblivious to his surroundings, a certain chocolate-haired shaman sat down and lay on the floor comfortably, the shadow from the nearby wall covering his eyes. Music could be heard from the orange headphones on his head, and he whistled along, unaware of a looming shadow approaching him.

With a loud smack, something small hit the shaman's stomach, causing him to jump up, sputtering.

"YOH! What do you think you are doing?" Any verbal response from the chocolate-haired shaman was hurriedly swallowed as he snapped his feet together and stood upright, sweating profusely. Next to him, the tiny boy who had been used as a projectile did the same, not even daring to protest his treatment. He had learnt better from past experiences.

"Umm. Resting?" Yoh half-mumbled, crossing his fingers that the blonde Itako standing before him would by some stroke of luck accept that answer. Anna smiled, and Yoh let out a breath of relief, which was followed by a sharp intake of breath when her smile turned into a scowl.

"Rest? You've barely even done anything! One hundred times up and down the length of this place! And make sure you draw attention and show everyone your shirt, it's promotion for the En Inn!"

Ren watched all this with a small sigh of exasperation. He should have expected this, but when Yoh had suggested that they all take a trip to China, he had hoped against hope that somehow, this trip would turn out to be one that was actually conducive to his sanity. Not something that was possible, as he had expected.

Still, looking at the scene before him, Ren couldn't help but break into a small smile. Tamao was being chased by a lecherous spirit who had followed them from the airport, and Anna had Yoh, Manta and HoroHoro running around like maniacs. Not exactly what one would expect to see at the Great Wall of China, but it was normal enough for their group.

With a wistful look, he turned and looked out to the surroundings beyond the Great Wall. Normal…eh? These guys made it easier, but sometimes, it really hurt that she wasn't around to share all these memories anymore. It had been two months, but when it was quiet, it hurt as much as when he had first found out she'd left. Some days, he could make the pain go away. But other days, he simply had to ignore it, somehow. Deep in thought, he fingered the silver stud in his left ear, wondering if she still wore hers.

"Ren's wearing the promotional shirt too!" Ren's head snapped around and his eyes settled on Yoh with a death glare as soon as he heard the chocolate-haired shaman's whining. Anna simply stood still with her arms folded, replying "Ren is our host and tour guide while we're here in China, so he's excused." Yoh opened his mouth to protest, but shut it stupidly when Anna shot him one of her looks.

"Hahaha! You guys haven't changed a bit!"

That voice brought the chaos to a sudden halt as everyone looked up, expressions of pleasant surprise on their faces at the familiar light-hearted voice. The voice belonged to a girl with short brunette hair standing on a nearby signal tower, one of the many scattered across the length of the Great Wall.

"Humpty Dumpty had a great fall from the great wall!"

To Ren's surprise, Lyn burst out laughing, leaping down from the tower and landing lightly in their midst as she did so. "And then, Anna grabs Manta and throws him at Choco Love!" Lyn commented in perfect timing with Anna's actions, a wide grin spread across her face. She giggled at the stunned expression on everyone's faces, then tried to look at them seriously, although her efforts only managed to stop her laughter.

"LYN!"

* * *

Lyn's eyes scanned through the faces of her friends, standing before her, and she felt herself relax. Her smile grew wider, a seemingly impossible task for the wide grin already on her face, as her eyes passed over each of her friends, coming to rest on Ren, standing a distance away, an unspeakable mix of emotions dancing through his eyes. Truly, it was with them that she felt complete. With him.

"Ahem." Lyn's thoughts were interrupted by Shinn gruffly clearing his throat as he landed next to her, reminding her of the reason why she had come looking for them in the first place. For the past two months, the two of them had been searching for clues as to the Dark Lord's true identity, and his aims, and their search had finally led them somewhere a month earlier. However, following the trail could very well lead to her death, and she refused to break her promise to Ren.

Lyn bit her lips as she felt her resolve weakening. Fighting against the Dark Lord was something she had decided to do, and she knew that if she gave up on that decision, she would live to regret it, no matter how much laughter Ren and the rest brought to her life. She had come here to do one thing, and only one thing…

"I'm back." She declared, taking a deep breath and smiling as she looked at all her friends. Her smile disappeared for a short while as she added, "just for a little while" in a whisper, and was back before most people would have realized it was gone. However, there were five highly observant people in the group who had caught what she had whispered. The rest surrounded Lyn and resumed the normal chaos surrounding their group, asking her a dozen different questions at once, the most popular being what she'd been doing.

* * *

Noting Shinn's serious demeanor, Hao's suspicion that the siblings had come here for something different was confirmed. It seemed that they wouldn't be staying long. If that was the case, Lyn would probably want to spend that time doing something other than answering questions. However, knowing the group, they would all be too excited to consider that. Still, he couldn't help but grin as Kaede joined in the chaos, smiling that sisterly smile which was reserved only for Lyn.

Yoh had probably realized the same thing as he had. And nothing would escape Anna's eyes as usual. Hao's grin widened for a moment. His idiot twin and that domineering fiancée of his were probably planning something, judging from the sly smile on Yoh's face, and the subtle one which Anna tried to keep hidden. However, before any of them could make a move, Lyn slipped through the group toward Ren. At this gesture, Hao could barely keep his glee hidden. It seemed Lyn had become more straightforward with what she wanted. He heard a snicker beside him, and turned to see his twin grinning. "We'll wait and see what happens," Yoh murmured, still grinning like an idiot.

With the words that followed, however, all smiles disappeared.

* * *

"Fight me, Ren." Lyn repeated, breaking the stunned silence which had followed her request. "No spirits, just one to one."

Ren stared at Lyn unblinkingly, unsure of what she wanted to do, but certain that he would not fight with her no matter what. He didn't want that, and he was sure Lyn didn't.

Staring straight into her eyes, though, he felt his certainty ebbing away. Her eyes were resolute, and burning with passion. This wasn't like the time she had tried to push him away. It was nowhere near as false as those attempts had been. Lyn seemed to seriously want this. Ren hesitated as this thought crossed his mind. He didn't exactly mind sparring with her, but he was definitely not going to hurt her.

Looking at the conflicting expressions in Ren's eyes, Lyn understood his worries immediately. "I just want a wholehearted spar, not a duel to the death."

Ren looked straight into her eyes for several seconds, then nodded, taking Kwan Dao out from under his coat, watching as Lyn's serious expression melted into a smile at his actions. He blinked in surprise when he thought he saw her lips form the words, "Thank you," but before he could stop to wonder if it was just his imagination, she had drawn Heartblade from her scabbard, and stood at the ready, holding Heartblade up beside her head, right leg before her left, waiting.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

Ren bent low, ready to stretch his right hand out and stab forward with Kwan Dao. He waited for Lyn to make a move toward him, responding by dashing in to meet her. Lyn raised Heartblade and slashed downward, and Ren calmly blocked her attack with Kwan Dao. Defiantly, she tried to push him back, but Ren, being Ren, refused to give an inch.

They remained that way for a while, wrestling for dominance over the opponent before them. Lyn gritted her teeth as she pushed forward, all her efforts were now directed at not giving way, rather than overpowering Ren, an impossible task for her. The instant she had failed to shove Ren backward by element of surprise, she had known she could not get him to step back as per her plan, since he was far stronger than her. In a split second, she changed her plan and jumped backward, hoping that Ren would stumble forward.

Of course, Ren didn't fall for a trick as simple as that. He balanced himself by leaning forward, making use of the action to add power to his attack as he stabbed Kwan Dao forward in that same instant, trusting that Lyn wouldn't be weak enough to let that attack make contact.

And she didn't. Lyn quickly twisted her body to the right to avoid that attack, bringing Heartblade down on Kwan Dao's handle. Ren quickly ducked and ran under her cut, spinning around once he was clear and throwing Kwan Dao forward, catching the end of the handle just before it flew out of his reach. Lyn quickly turned Heartblade, using the flat of the sword to deflect Ren's attack. Undeterred, Ren drew back, raising Kwan Dao and quickly entering a series of diagonal slashes, which looked dangerously quick but were meant to be blocked, as could be felt from their set tempo.

Lyn's breathing was heavy as she rushed to block each slash Ren directed at her. Even though she'd been training hard these past two months, Ren had still managed to maintain his lead over her abilities. Nothing less than what she had expected from him. She tried to smile, but instead clumsily blocked a slash that came faster than the others had. She quickly blocked her right side, but to her surprise, the slash never came.

Instead, Ren swung downward and made a sweeping cut directed at Lyn's legs, which she narrowly avoided by somersaulting backward, landing with bent knees and sliding a short distance back from the momentum. She let her left hand hang just off the ground in front of her to steady herself, bringing Heartblade up to head level and pointing it toward Ren.

Pausing to catch her breath, she couldn't help but smile. To her, this was bliss, being able to exchange blows with Ren like this, living peacefully with everyone. Lyn felt herself relaxing, when images from what she had seen these past two months flashed through her mind, staying only long enough for Lyn to recognize them. One scene, in particular, lingered in her mind, one of the soot-stained face of an impish four year old bawling as flames burned his house to the ground, and his parents with it.

She could not forget that which she had seen, and to pick a peaceful life over one of fighting to prevent such incidents repeating themselves would definitely eat at her until she was nothing but a shell filled with regret. She had to finish her fight with Ren, for both their sakes. She didn't know how long she was going to keep fighting the Dark Lord, but she didn't want to have to make Ren keep waiting. Yet, for all her resolve, she could not bear to simply say goodbye. So she had decided, that with this fight, she'd gather the courage or the determination, whichever, to say those painful words.

Holding on to that thought, she rushed forward, sweeping Heartblade in a circular motion to create a massive rising slash. Ren ducked that attack and then lunged forward with Kwan Dao held out. Lyn met this attack confidently, twisting Heartblade to deflect Ren's attack with the flat of her blade once again. Spear met sword, and the result was anything but what had been expected.

With a crash, the broken blade of Lyn's sword fell to the ground, leaving her holding the handle and the jagged foot of the blade.

* * *

Ren watched in silence as Lyn's hands dropped to her side, and what was left of Heartblade slipped out of her hands, landing on the floor with a clatter. Her head was bent and he could barely see her face, but he noticed her lips moving, as if saying something. He took a step toward her to try and hear what she was murmuring, but froze in mid-step, dropping Kwan Dao without a second thought as she fell forward.

Catching her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder tenderly, pulling her head towards his chest. Almost immediately, he felt a damp warmth through his shirt, but found that he didn't know what to say. So, he stood there silently, just hugging Lyn as her tears soaked his shirt, leaving the rest to guess at what was going on, since nothing about her betrayed the fact that she was crying, besides her clenched fists clutching his shirt.

After a moment or two, Ren felt Lyn's clenched fists relax their grip from his shirt, although she still refused to look up at him. Leaning the top of her head against his chest, she reached for the silver stud he wore on his left ear, fingering it gently before finally looking up at him with a smile. "It doesn't really suit you does it? You know…you don't really have to wear it anymore…"

He looked her in the eye in surprise. What in the world was she saying? She was still wearing hers…

Ren opened his mouth to protest that there was no way he would ever take it off, but was silenced as Lyn held her trembling index finger to his lips. "I came back, like I promised. But from here, I don't know how long I'll be gone. It might be a month before we see each other again. Maybe never. So, we'll say goodbye here. If we meet again, and nothing of our feelings have changed, then so be it. But if any of us ever meets someone we can fall in love with again, then I don't want anything holding us back."

Ren's heart sank when he heard what she had to say. Lyn was going to leave him again, and this time, she might never come back. He'd have to watch her fade away before his very eyes for…the fourth time? Well, he wouldn't have it. He'd promised himself that when she came back, he'd hold on tight and never let her go again. He didn't want to say goodbye again. There was just no way he would accept this.

"I won't have it…" He growled, holding her wrist and removing her finger from his lips. "I won't let you leave me again…"

"Even if you know that keeping me here wouldn't make me happy?"

Ren hesitated, and in the instant that his grip on her wrist loosened, Lyn hurriedly slipped her hand out of his grasp, turning around to face the rest, who were still wondering what was going on, since she hadn't spoken loudly enough for them to catch her earlier words. She said a quick goodbye to each of them, not explaining when they asked where she was going. All this, Ren watched silently, his stomach twisting into even tighter knots when she turned back to him with one of the most brilliant smiles he had ever seen from her.

And then she walked to the edge of the wall, jumping off it to the forest below, with Shinn following her like a shadow.

* * *

_Somewhere in the English Countryside; Present Day_

"LYN!"

Ren's left hand twitched as he shot upright, shoulders heaving from heavy breathing. He raised a trembling hand to his left earlobe, as if expecting to find something there, but all his fingers met were his cold skin. He looked around the room in confusion, wondering if his spinning head was interfering with his sense of touch as well.

"Sir, the patient has regained consciousness."

He gritted his teeth, blocking out the sound. It hurt to think, and that voice had sounded louder than it should. Lying down again, he tried to remember where he was, but had his thoughts interrupted by the reply to the previous statement.

"What the-It's too soon! They normally take two days or more, and it's barely been ten minutes since they put him down!"

Ren growled, willing the voices away as they came closer to him. Of course it was soon, a Tao never stayed down from injuries or illnesses long. Besides, he could just about remember, something cool on his burning forehead. He'd passed out from a fever? Ren mentally hit himself. That wasn't important. The important thing was, where was the stud he'd been wearing? There was no way he could've taken it off.

"How are you feeling?" Ren opened his eyes and glanced at the man who had spoken, a middle-aged man with graying hair who looked at him with kind eyes. Getting up once again and suppressing a groan, he told the man that he was fine. And he was! He was slowly regaining his awareness. He remembered where his stud had gone, and that was all that mattered.

"He's lying. You guys need to check him through yourselves, because knowing him, he'll never admit it when something's wrong." Ren thought the voice was familiar, but glared at the owner in irritation anyway. How dare she speak of a Tao like that.

The owner's face came into focus in his blurry vision, and with a slight start he realized that it was Lyn. Meek all of a sudden, he looked away, suddenly wishing he had kept his stud on.

_I don't want to pressure her into anything, so I'll take it off for now…_

His brave words to Yoh, which he half-regretted now. What he wouldn't give to hold her in his arms again. These two years, he had never, not even for a second, stopped thinking about her. Guiltily, Ren forced these thoughts back. He wasn't thinking straight now, facing her like that. He had done the right thing. After all, she might not feel the same way he did anymore.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" A second of hesitation, then a flash white as she smiled at him. He could feel his cheeks heat up, and hoped she wouldn't notice. To distract her, he quickly asked the first question that came to mind.

"Where are we?"

Lyn's reply wasn't as composed this time. She laughed half-heartedly, promising to explain later, when they met up with Yoh and the rest. Ren narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Something was definitely going on.

By now, his head had more or less cleared, and he got off the bed despite the doctors' protests. Lyn simply smiled at his stubbornness before running out the door. Watching her disappearing back, Ren felt his spirits drop. Once again, he had to watch her turn her back on him.

_As long as she's happy…right?  
…__Right?_

**Told you guys it was long. :P Still, I haad lots of fun with this chapter, hope you guys enjoyed reading it too. :)**

**Sleepy...Hope I didn't miss too many errors.**


	4. The Path She Chose

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.**

**Thanks to those who reviewed, it's a good feeling to know for sure that you guys like the story thus far. I hope I can keep improving to bring better work to you all, makes me feel better inside as well. =)**

**This is terrible. T_T I forgot to consider the climate, even though I knew it was still the early part of the year. Well, it is spring…so they don't exactly need to be bundled up…right?**

**Anyway…I seem to be getting more writers' blocks lately. I guess in the end it's a good thing because I end up putting more thought into the chapters?**

**I didn't plan for a flower here, but it fit. And then, this lovely flower grows in England, and has a meaning that fits. How lucky is that? :P**

**It's not a glitch that you guys recieved two alerts for the same chapter. I uploaded part of what you see, but decided that it really felt incomplete, so I added the rest. :)**

**The Path She Chose**

Absorbed in his own thoughts, Ren felt someone small walking toward him from behind, but, deciding it was not a threat, ignored it. That is, until a tiny fist clenching a bunch of white flowers was held up in front of him. He looked up in surprise, only to see the childish face of a six year old looking at him curiously.

"Lyn says pretty flowers make people happy. Big brother doesn't look happy, so here's a pretty flower for him."

Taken by surprise, Ren reached out and silently took the flowers without fully realizing what he was doing. He stared at the little white buds in his hand for awhile, and when he looked up again to tell the boy he had no use of these flowers, the boy had already run off to one of the students in the garden.

Fingering the flowers, mixed emotions washed over him. There Lyn was, right in front of him, and yet she seemed so distant. So much about her seemed to have changed, and not just her dressing or her hairstyle.

He looked up, up at the bits of sunlight sifting through the leaves of the Silver Birch he was sitting under, watching as the wind blew, creating a dancing mirage of light and shadow. Perhaps he would normally have liked this sight. But today, his heart, ill at ease as it was, was left uncertain as to what he should feel.

Once more, he found himself looking at the flowers. They really were quite pretty, like little snowflakes. They certainly seemed like something Lyn would have liked. At the thought, Ren smiled, though his expression was one of despairing. She hadn't been wearing the stud, earlier. Indeed, so much seemed to have changed. _Too much._

"Summer Snowflake. It's a flower that's often thought to signify hope."

Ren's head jerked upward in surprise. When had she gotten so close to him?

As he looked up, their eyes met, and Ren could feel a knot tightening in his heart, but found that he couldn't tear his eyes away. Her eyes…her eyes were as beautiful as they had been back then. But as she was looking down at him, a smile spread across her face, he found a strange emotion shadowing her eyes, something that seemed a mixture of nervousness and…guilt?

"Is it all right if I sit with you for a bit?"

Ren nodded dumbly in answer to her question and watched as she placed a long object wrapped in cloth-probably her sword- against the tree before sitting down next to him. He could remember its curved edge glinting in the sunlight earlier. It appeared she hadn't fixed Heartblade after it broke back in China.

Ren felt his hand twitch as Lyn was sitting down, all the while smiling at him. He had to suppress the urge to just embrace her regardless of how she felt. The look in her eyes confused him, gave him the impression that there was this inconceivable distance between the two of them.

Just like a chasm, so wide you could not see its end, even if it had one.

"Ren-I…"

Ren looked up expectantly as Lyn began to speak, her voice quavering, just a little. To his dismay, however, the boy from earlier interrupted, causing Lyn to swallow whatever she had planned on saying.

"Lyn! Lyn! You feeling better today?" The boy shouted happily, throwing his arms around Lyn's neck. Lyn ruffled his hair, grinning as she told him that she was much better. Ren watched this exchange in silence, wondering just what the boy meant when he had asked Lyn if she was feeling better. She looked perfectly alright to him.

"So, you can play with me today?" The boy's ice blue eyes sparkled with joy, the kind that all children feel when they are with their favourite person. This expression turned into one of disappointment when Lyn shook her head sadly. "Sorry Timmy. Not today…I've got friends over and I need to take them to my house soon."

Timmy looked at the ground wistfully for a moment before he brightened up again. "This Big Brother one of your friends? He looked sad just now, so I gave him Lyn's favourite flowers!"

"Really? Thank you, Timmy, you're a great help!"

Timmy grinned in childish pride at this compliment, hugging Lyn again. "Ok. I'll go play with Michael now. Take care of your friend, kay? Like how you made Timmy smile."

As soon as Timmy left, the pair found themselves sitting in silence.

And a rather awkward one at that.

* * *

"Just what are you fighting against, Lyn?"

Lyn looked at Ren in surprise as he asked this question, staring at him blankly, not making any attempt to reply. With a sigh, Ren tried to push for an answer.

"It's just…you seem to be struggling against something."

_Silence._

Still, Ren believed that she would give him some sort of an answer, and waited patiently, looking right at her, his eyes urging her on. Almost immediately, she turned her head the other way, almost as if she didn't- or couldn't- look him in the eye. Ren sighed again, turning back and leaning his head against the tree, watching the leaves dance in the wind as he waited for an answer.

"That boy, Timothy. He was orphaned two years ago."

Ren lowered his head and looked at Lyn, her orange-streaked hair, and then past her, to where the little boy was. He found himself wanting to say something, but was unsure of what to say, and was left with no chance to try as she continued.

"With him, is Michael. His sister disappeared one night, and the police found her three days later, lying in a pool of blood in a cold, dark alleyway."

She paused to take a breath.

"Half of the people here…have lost something important to them…had their loved ones taken away-directly or indirectly- by him."

Although she had not specifically said who that him was, Ren immediately knew who was behind those deeds. Yoh had explained it to him, the one who had been manipulating Shinn by twisting his sadness. But what she had told him…it all made sense now. That building he had been in, with all the state-of-the art equipment. This fenced off garden which all the other students seemed to know not to enter…

Lyn had never struck him as the sort to conform to the rules of an organization, but it seemed that for once, she had made an exception.

"Although recently…I wonder if I made the right decision in joining."

It was said in a whisper so low Ren couldn't be sure he had heard what he had, and before he could say anything, Lyn had stood up and grabbed her Katana, checking the strings to make sure the cloth was wrapped around it securely.

"Well, we'd better be heading over to my house. We can talk more there. I'm sure Yoh and the rest have their questions too."

And with that, she walked over to where Yoh and the rest were standing, slipped her arm around Kaede's, and called for the rest of them to get moving, her grin plastered back onto her face.

* * *

Lyn looked down at her friend with a smile as the girl chattered away excitedly, telling her stories of the things that had happened after she left. Kaede really had changed these past two years. She was more open now, and a large part of that change, if not all of it, could probably be accounted to Hao.

It hadn't really come as a surprise to her, how much different each and every one of them were, when she had seen them for the first time in two years. It _had, _after all, been two years. Whether the changes had been subtle or glaringly obvious, no one had remained exactly the way they had been two years ago.

How she had known, or rather, how she had felt the changes within everyone, was part of the change she had undergone as well.

"You've grown taller, Lyn." Kaede commented suddenly, and Lyn laughed sheepishly. "I guess so…I used to be shorter than you."

Kaede's eyes brightened at Lyn's cheerful reply. For a moment there, her face had seemed to slip into the troubled expression which Kaede had seen when Ren and Lyn had been talking earlier, in the garden. She didn't know what it was that Lyn was struggling against, but if the younger girl had chosen not to share it with her, then she'd just have to try and keep Lyn's spirits up.

Lyn turned her head to look behind her, and found herself staring straight at Ren. She quickly snapped her head back, looking straight ahead as she took a deep breath, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart. It hurt to look at him, to see that expression in his eyes.

"Lyn? Did you hear what I just said?"

Lyn turned to Kaede, shaking her head apologetically. "Sorry, I wasn't quite listening…Just…give me a sec, okay? I need to talk to Shinn about something…Umm…just keep following this path for now."

Without even waiting for a reply, Lyn slipped her arm away from Kaede's, slowing her pace until she fell in step with Shinn, who was walking right behind the group.

* * *

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Shinn didn't beat around the bush, but Lyn was thankful that at least he had been kind enough to speak only for her ears. She looked up at Lyzerg and HoroHoro, who were walking a short distance ahead, and made sure that they wouldn't be able to catch bits of the conversation before she replied.

"I just can't, Shinn. Not after everything I've done…"

Shinn's eyes narrowed in exasperation at this answer, typical of his hesitant little sister. "And what exactly have you done?" He demanded in a fierce whisper, staring right at her, his gaze unwavering.

"It just seems that I'm only capable of hurting him. I don't regret walking away that day in China, not really. But that decision of mine was selfish, and it probably hurt him…how can I just act as if I did nothing…and tell him I still love him?"

"And you think that keeping things this way will stop him from hurting?"

Lyn bit her bottom lips as her brother ruthlessly attacked the flaw in her logic. She had seen it, she knew that it wouldn't help, but it didn't help her confusion, not one bit. She didn't quite understand the mess of thoughts in her head, but she knew one thing. She couldn't promise herself that she would never leave him…she couldn't promise herself that she would never hurt him again, and that was what she was most afraid of.

She knew that Ren still loved her. She could feel it whenever he looked at her. But mixed in with all those feelings of love, buried in along with a mix of other emotions, she could feel his pain and confusion.

Which didn't help her mental state in the least. It just added to her uncertainty as to what she should do.

"Why don't you just have a straight talk with him?" Shinn's words were to the point, and their meaning lay in that. He always knew to say the right things, whether they were what she wanted to hear or not. He could read her like a book. And even as he waited for her reply, he knew what to expect from her response.

"Maybe. Soon."

Evasive as usual. Shinn shook his head as he gave his sister a wry smile. It didn't matter, it was enough that he had reminded her of that option. For now, he'd just watch over her. This was between Ren and her, and it'd be better for them if they got past this themselves.

_As long as they speak, sooner or later.  
So long as they both know for sure what the other is feeling._

_Unlike…me._


	5. Nightdrake and the Organization

**I'm not very good with typing for characters with accents, but I tried my best with the housekeeper in this chapter! :D I think it turned out ok, but do forgive any errors that I might have made. :)**

**A new character is going to be introduced here! I'd actually intended for him to join the gang, but after some thought on his personality…well, we'll just have to see how it goes. :)**

**And I do realize some of you have probably already noticed the difference between this and its prequel, besides inconsistent chapters (for lack of a better word, act sounds…weird). We're 5 chapters in, and we're still on the same day! I think it's a good thing, cos I felt things were a little rushed in Destiny. Which is one of the reasons I intend to start a rewrite, sooner or later. I've even got new events planned!**

**Special thanks to Valinor's Twilight, you've been an awesome reviewer, and I'm really grateful for all your support. :) Your comments have been helpful too, and for that, I'm really really really grateful! =)**

**Enough of my yammering, as always, enjoy this chapter! :D**

**Still, I must warn you. There's quite a bit of explaining going on in this chapter, so be prepared to remember this info. ;)**

**Nightdrake and the Organization**

Just as Lyn placed her hand on the door handle, a frantic scratching could be heard from the other side, accompanied by friendly whimpering. Lyn smiled, shaking her head as she pushed the door open slowly, careful not to hurt her furry companion waiting on the other side. Before she could open the door fully, though, it pushed its way through, and began sniffing the group of strangers that Lyn had brought home, its tail wagging excitedly.

It paused at Ren, and gave the back of his hand a friendly lick before moving back to Lyn, butting her legs gently with its head, as if demanding something from her. With a grin, Lyn bent down and took the dog's head in her hands, looking into its eyes. "Heya, Kiboshi boy. Were you a good doggy while I was away?"

Kiboshi replied by giving Lyn an affectionate lick on her cheek, as if replying, "I have, but I missed you."

Giving Kiboshi a final pat on his head, Lyn stood up and opened the door, calling, "Mrs. Stevenson! I'm home, and my friends are here!"

"Ah guessed as much from all the noise that silly Kiboshi was makin! Dinner is nearly ready, so ye let em freshen up first!" The reply came from the kitchen, the voice motherly through the thick accent, warm and welcoming. Yoh scratched his head in confusion, looking to Lyn for answers. "Dinner? It's barely two in the afternoon!"

Groans of exasperation could be heard from some of the smarter ones in the group, namely Ren, Hao and Lyzerg. Anna simply glared at Yoh, her glare accompanied by Kaede's stifled laughter. HoroHoro and Ryu stared at them as if they were crazy. Yoh's question had made perfect sense! No one in their right minds would mistake lunch for dinner.

Laughing, Lyn explained to the confused boys how the midday meal was referred to as dinner in the countryside, and told them not to let it bother them. She signaled to the group to follow her up the stairs to the second floor, telling the boys that their rooms were on the third.

"Oh, and. Make sure you freshen up good. Mrs. Stevenson is very strict about cleanliness at the dinner table." This comment made some of the boys wince, as the image of a thin woman with a sharp nose pulling their ears came to mind. Lyn grinned, sensing the silly thoughts running through the boys' minds, and pointed the girls to their rooms, dragging Kaede into their shared room.

As the boys trudged up the stairs, Ren paused and cast a glance at the door which had closed behind Lyn, his thoughts wandering to a box he had carefully placed into his backpack.

* * *

After a quick washing of hands and faces, the group found themselves seated at a long dining table, where plates with fried sausages and huge servings of mash were laid in front of them, with a cold meat pie as an additional treat. Lyn grinned at the plump woman, whose sleeves were still rolled up from cooking. "You're really spoiling us today, Mrs. Stevenson. I'm going to be a happy fat girl if I eat your food for another day!"

Mrs. Stevenson laughed heartily at Lyn's remark. "Enough with ye sweet tongue, young lady, and dig'in! Ye young 'uns must be mighty starvin' by now."

Beaming, Lyn picked up her fork and spoon, and paused at the various voices echoing _"Itadakimasu"_ around the table. It had been far too long since she'd said that phrase. Lyn watched with a grin as everyone tucked into the meal hungrily, and took a bite out of one of the huge sausages lying on the plate before her.

Once the meal was over, Lyn and Shinn helped Mrs. Stevenson clear the plates, and Lyn was about to begin washing the dishes when she was shooed off by Shinn. "I'm sure you guys have a lot to talk about…"

Lyn nodded gratefully at him and ran out to the dining room, where the group sat chatting about various things. Shinn remained behind to help Mrs. Stevenson with the dishes, and the plump woman looked at him with a smile.

"Ye really dote on yer little sister, ye do."

Shinn remained silent, and Mrs. Stevenson shook her head knowingly. Shinn never admitted it outright, but she knew that the two siblings were very close. She'd seen enough of it to know.

Of course, she knew nothing about the happenings two years ago, how the two siblings had tried to kill each other, once upon a time.

* * *

_Kyoto Prefecture; Lyn and Shinn's hometown; Roughly 2 years ago_

"Being here brings back memories…" Lyn attempted to break the silence which had followed the two of them when they had walked into the small town. Shinn nodded, the only sign that he had heard Lyn's earlier comment. And Lyn couldn't blame him, really. Being here was painful for her as well. She swallowed as her recently regained memories of Li-An's death surfaced.

Looking around, she wondered if that other shaman was still here. She clenched her fists in an attempt to force down a wave of bitterness that threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't show it, not here. Shinn was probably in pain far greater than hers.

And yet, Lyn couldn't completely suppress the feeling, and she could feel a bitter taste on her tongue, although she knew it was all in her mind. That stupid shaman…so stupid she'd killed someone innocent for her own selfish desires.

"You know, she came to me the day before." Lyn looked up, surprised not just that Shinn had spoken up, but at the fact he'd revealed. She waited patiently as he dropped back into silence, and didn't push him to continue, knowing that Shinn wouldn't leave his explanation hanging. He just needed to calm himself. She could _sense_ it.

Ever since what had taken place a week ago, she'd found herself able to sense a lot of things, although she couldn't really differentiate most of the time. She found herself wondering if this was a side effect of using that skill. Her father had always had something similar.

She shook herself out of her thoughts as Shinn took a breath, ready to continue.

"She told me she wanted me. I told her I couldn't…that I loved someone else. I didn't tell her who, Lyn, I really didn't. She just…guessed."

By now, Shinn had stopped walking altogether, focused on forcing the tears down. Lyn stopped in front of him, looking up at his pained expression. She could feel his pain, but she didn't know what to do, what to say.

"She told me how wrong it was. She kept repeating it. I couldn't say anything…Even when she made it seem like Li-An's fault, I couldn't say anything to defend her. How…_pathetic."_

The last word was uttered with a sneer of self-reproach. Lyn couldn't stand the expression of hatred that his face carried, it felt like she was going to lose him again if she didn't do something. So, she did the first thing that felt like a sensible option. She hugged him, stroking his back comfortingly. And as she felt a warm wetness through her shirt, she knew it had been the only option. Words would only have made things worse.

She stood there and let Shinn cry, glad that he was letting out everything he'd held in the past few years. Just then, she noticed someone walking towards them, and opened her lips in a silent snarl, her eyes flashing with anger.

_Just walk away from us…walk away from us and I won't hurt you._

Her silent urgings did nothing, and the girl approached, a cocky smile on her well-formed lips. "So, now you're in love with your other sister?"

Shinn's body tensed at the sound of her voice, and straightened his neck, looking straight ahead, as if willing the person behind him away. Lyn couldn't help letting a growl escape as she glared at this girl. "Leave us alone, Rin. Don't make me hurt you."

Rin laughed, not a friendly one, but one filled with arrogance. "Go ahead and try, baby Lyn. Like you could even hope to lay a finger on me."

By now, Lyn was clenching her fists so hard that her hands were shaking. Rin noticed this, and pushed her taunts further.

"What a pathetic family yours is. Your perverted brother only has thoughts of incest in that thick head of his. And you, you're just a crybaby. Why, that cowardly sister of yours deserved to die."

The last words were said with a vicious hiss, dripping with venom. At this provocation, Lyn couldn't contain her anger any more. Why should she, with a girl like this?

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU BITCH!" With all her might, she hurled her fist straight for the older girl's face, all rational thoughts gone with the winds of fury that now howled inside of her.

Just before her fist made contact, a strong hand wrapped itself around her wrist, stopping her punch from making contact. Quivering with a mixture of anger and shock, Lyn lifted her head to look at Shinn, her eyes wide. He was biting his lower lip so hard that it was starting to bleed, and his eyes screamed out in frustration, but he slowly shook his head before letting go of Lyn's wrist. Her hand dropped to her side and she stared at him, her eyes flashing with frustration and confusion.

"Don't dirty your hands over someone like her, Lyn. She's not worth it."

It was said not commandingly, but as one would state a fact that you knew was true, no matter how much you hated it. Lyn looked down at the ground uncertainly. What Shinn said…it definitely made sense. She turned to Helige, who was looking at her unblinkingly, his face stern. Taking a deep breath, Lyn nodded, turning her back to Rin.

Shinn lifted a heavy hand to Lyn's head, smiling at her half-heartedly. His whole body was screaming at him to hit Rin, knock into her all the pain Li-An had felt, battered to death by the townsfolk, and all by the word of this one girl. But he swallowed all those hateful desires, ignoring the sour taste they left in his mouth as he walked away, back to where their house had once stood before it had been burned to the ground by the townsfolk.

Lyn resisted the urge to turn around and glare at the girl as she followed her brother.

* * *

She fingered a chunk that had once been part of her childhood home, wondering if they were going to find anything useful at all. Sure, it had been on her suggestion that they had even come here looking for clues that would lead them to whoever it was that had instigated Shinn, but it had been several years since they had left this town, several years since Li-An's death. If there was anything to be found, it would probably have been washed away by rain ages ago.

Lyn shook her head, trying to keep her thoughts positive. This was the only lead they had, this place where that evil being had first contacted Shinn. There had to be something here, something they could use that would at least give them a clue. Lyn tried to focus on her thoughts, but that voice in the background still broke through, high-pitched yelling by now.

"And your mother! What a slut that woman was! She couldn't bewitch anyone back in China, so she came and stole one of the village men instead!"

In a smooth, swift motion, Lyn stood up, ran towards Rin while drawing Heartblade, and held the tip of her sword at the girl's throat. When she opened her mouth to speak, her words emerged slowly, soft and cold, and in a manner that seemed to give everything she said a physical blade, sharp enough to cut.

"If you don't know how to keep your mouth shut, then I am more than willing to teach you. Another squeak from you, and I swear to god I'll do something painful to you. And when that happens, even Shinn won't be able to stop me."

Rin stared at her, eyes wide with fear as cold sweat trickled down her forehead. She swallowed, and chanced a glance at the sharp tip before wincing and snapping her eyes shut. Lyn had definitely kept up with the maintenance of that thing.

Just then, a small dagger, the blade only the length of the average index finger, came whizzing towards Lyn's wrist, and she quickly drew back her blade to dodge it. She narrowed her eyes and stared at where the blade had come from, the forested cliff behind the ruins.

"It seems that the rumors were true. I was sent here to investigate when we caught wind of rumors speaking of strange, gruesome deaths in the area. We thought that the murderer would be acting on Nightdrake's influence, but who would have guessed that there weren't just one, but two rats to be caught. Prepare to die!"

Lyn dodged as a tall, well-toned boy jumped off the cliff, sending a chain with a sharpened tip flying toward her. He landed without a sound, light on his feet, his blue-gray eyes staring at her dangerously. She felt indignant at his accusation, and was about to return the favor when his words sunk in.

"Strange deaths? Investigations? Who's Nightdrake? Does he have anything to do with-"

Lyn was interrupted by a sneer from the boy, who looked about a year younger than Shinn.

"Don't act all innocent with me…Anybody who could perform such a disgusting act as raising a weapon against an innocent young lady can only be working for Nightdrake."

Lyn felt a hint of irritation return at these words. Who did this European think he was, waltzing in here and making these sorts of accusations against them. She sank into her battle stance, ready to retaliate, teach him a lesson, but Shinn stood in front of her, stopping her.

"I'll handle this. You stand at one side and cool off. You're getting too heated. Besides, you haven't fully recovered."

Lyn opened her mouth to protest, but Shinn didn't give her a chance, launching towards the other boy with the sabre that had once been their father's. They had found it in one of the caves their father used to train them in, in the silence and protection of the forest. Lyn watched as the blade of black, slightly curved at the edge, met the straight silver sabre the boy had drawn. This fight was beyond her calibre, if the boy had been able to block Shinn's fast and powerful opening attack.

The fight didn't last long. In fact, it was over almost as soon as it began. With a series of fast parries, Shinn caused his opponent to lean back in order to block the attacks, eventually losing his balance and falling onto his back. Before he could do anything to spin around and regain his balance, Shinn held the tip of his sword at the boy's throat, moving it downward at the same rate that the boy was falling, taking utmost care not to cut him.

Shinn stood there for awhile, looking at the boy who was pinned down by his sabre. He had closed his eyes in defeat, and simply lay there, awaiting death. With a smirk, Shinn lifted his sabre and sheathed it, waiting for the boy to realize he wasn't going to die.

He opened his eyes a crack, and then clambered upright awkwardly, embarrassed by his easy defeat. Still, he eyed Shinn suspiciously, his sword ready to block any attack that came.

"If I'd wanted to kill you, don't you think I'd have done so by now? It's not like it would've been difficult." Shinn let out a sigh of exasperation as Lyn ran to his side, grinning. She stuck her tongue out at the boy, which caused him to blink in surprise. He regained his composure soon enough, though, and, ignoring the truth behind Shinn's words, asked, "What are you doing with Sir Kenshin's sabre?"

"You knew my father?" Lyn jumped forward and grabbed his hand, her eyes wide and questioning. Just what was going on here? A strange European boy, younger than Shinn, who knew her dad? Things were getting stranger by the minute.

The boy simply looked at the two of them, considering his options. With a weak smile, he decided that he could trust the two standing before him, and nodded.

"Sir Kenshin was one of the greatest warriors in our organization. He was already part of it when I was brought in as a little kid, but he retired when I turned seven, because he wanted to spend more time with his kids, a boy a year older than me and a girl three years my junior. I wasn't really that surprised, because he was a very kind man, especially to small children like me."

He took a breath before continuing.

"Nightdrake is an unknown person who has hidden in the history of the past century and perhaps further back in time than that. His form or species even, remains unknown, so our organization gave him the codename of Nightdrake. The only thing we know about him is that he lies in the shadows, manipulating people and luring them with dark magic and other promises."

Lyn nodded at this, looking excitedly at Shinn. It seemed they'd gotten some form of clue as to _his_ identity. If he wasn't this Nightdrake person, then she didn't have a clue who _he _might be. And what the boy had said made sense. If their father was a part of the organization, he would have known of this…Nightdrake's existence. That would explain the knowing tone, when Shinn had succumbed, and when he talked about Shinn's sudden change in mentality with her.

She suddenly remembered that they didn't know this boy's name. With a grin, she turned back to him, her eyes earnest. "You haven't told us your name!"

The boy's cheeks flushed at the friendly girl in front of him. With a start, he realized that she was still holding on to his hand. This did nothing but cause his cheeks to turn a deeper shade of red, which caused her to look at him curiously, her head tilted.

"Umm…Tyson…Tyson Maxwell."

"Heh, I'm Lyn, and this is my brother, Shinn!"

* * *

_Somewhere in the English Countryside; Present Day_

Lyn recounted the events which had led to her joining the organization, and explained some of what the organization did with the group. Of course, she left out some of the finer details, like what exactly had happened when she had Shinn had returned to their hometown.

When Lyn was done updating them, Hao quickly interjected with a question he was sure everyone was bothered about. Their inability to perform an oversoul earlier that day. Lyn grinned at the question, which was within her expectations.

"It's some kind of enchantment device the Nightdrake followers developed. The weaker ones allow you to walk in with an oversoul, but you can't create one within the space. For the stronger ones, you have no choice but to rely purely on battle skill and manipulation of furyoku. And don't worry about the gravity swell earlier, that was just a particular ability, it won't happen all the time."

"So why'd you invite us over?" This question wasn't asked accusingly, if anything, it showed Hao's concern about the whole situation. He knew that Lyn wouldn't call them over to make them join the organization, that wasn't like her at all.

"Well…I wanted your help…because I'm thinking its time to…do it my own way."

When nobody said anything, Lyn continued.

"There are some workings of the organization which I didn't know of beforehand. But reading the records…I can't bring myself to accept the way they work. Those followers of Nightdrake who choose to repent…they're still killed ruthlessly. They aren't forgiven. I didn't know about this, since all my missions were simply rescue operations."

Lyn bowed her head, clenching her fists under the table. She'd lied about reading the records, it had been the branch head who'd told her this when they had been posted over. They'd accidentally revealed Shinn's past connections with Nightdrake, and even though he accepted that Shinn had really managed to break away, he'd warned them that most of the organization wouldn't be quite so forgiving.

"I just don't think it's right. Everyone should be given a chance, especially those who want to take it, the ones who try and break away from Nightdrake!"

"Those fools who dare tread that path deserve no hope of seeking forgiveness for their crimes."

Lyn looked up at that cold voice, and her eyes met a blue-gray ones. She smiled weakly, deciding not to waste her time arguing with Tyson today. She'd been trying to get him to understand for the past month, but he hadn't budged.

"You didn't tell us you were back from your mission…" Lyn stated simply, changing the topic. He looked at her in pleasant surprise, and let a smile grace his normally serious features. That smile disappeared, however, when he looked at the large group sitting around the table, all staring at him curiously.

He smiled wryly, his eyes pausing on Ren, and narrowing ever so slightly. Sensing the tension coming from him, Lyn quickly introduced everyone at the table, flashing a bright smile at him and hoping he would relax. However, his only reaction was to nod curtly in greeting before walking up the stairs.

"He doesn't know about Shinn either." She added to the group, knowing they would understand what she meant and not mention it around him.

* * *

Ren returned to his room after his bath, his hair damp and hanging loose. On an impulse, he opened his backpack and took out a small black box with a blue ribbon tying it close. He pulled the ends of the ribbon and took out the chain and ring inside, smiling sadly.

When they'd gotten Lyn's invitation to visit in England, Ren had immediately rushed to the closest jewelry shop to make this purchase. He'd had a single word etched on the inside band of the ring, a word which had come to him at the spur of the moment. He turned the ring and peered at the inside, at the word _Believe_ which he had asked to be engraved.

Ren slipped the chain through the ring, picturing Lyn wearing it as a pendant. It certainly suited her more than wearing it on her finger. With a wry smile, he remembered why he had chosen the word _Believe_ over all other possibilities. He'd wanted Lyn to believe in whatever she had decided to do, and perhaps, believe in him and in their love as well.

With a sigh, Ren realized how odd it would be to give her a ring, especially since she didn't seem to feel that way towards him anymore. Fingering the ring wistfully, he was about to put the chain back into its box when HoroHoro entered the room. With a grin, HoroHoro grabbed the chain, whisking it out of Ren's grip. "Is this for her?" The tone in his voice was teasing, and Ren flushed, trying to take it back. HoroHoro stepped out of his reach, whistling.

With a growl, Ren grabbed Kwan Dao from the nearby wall and began brandishing it at HoroHoro. HoroHoro ran out of the room, dodging Ren's attacks while whooping and cheering.

* * *

Lyn rolled onto her back, her head hanging off the edge of the bed. It was after dinner and the girls had decided to have a snack in her room, and even Anna had agreed, surprisingly. Lyn grinned at the thought. It had been a long time since she'd seen them or had a chance to talk to them, but now that they were right in front of her, she found herself happy enough just to watch them, observe the subtle changes in their features.

Anna stared at her with an eyebrow raised, challenging the dopey smile which was on Lyn's face by now. With a giggle, Lyn sat upright and slid off her bed to the floor. She couldn't help it, she was just too happy to be with them here like that. Kaede smiled at her, and Lyn was about to suggest that they play a game when loud crashes came from upstairs. The crashes were soon joined by cheerful whooping and angry yelling, the voices belonging to HoroHoro and Ren respectively.

Lyn couldn't help but laugh at the commotion. She'd expected something like this to happen when Yoh had suggested choosing roommates by drawing lots. Ren had ended up with HoroHoro, which didn't bode very well. The only possibility which could have been worse would probably have been Ren and Choco Love.

By now, there was even more yelling as Yoh and the others joined in the commotion. Lyn stopped in mid-laugh when she saw the look of irritation on Anna's face, and decided that she needed to stop the commotion before Anna blew a fuse.

When she emerged at the top of the stairs, an amazing sight greeted her. HoroHoro was being strangled by a silver chain, and Ren was yelling at the top of his voice, trying to hit HoroHoro with Kwan Dao. The only thing between HoroHoro and certain death was Yoh, who was holding back a struggling Ren. Lyn bent over and laughed till tears rolled down her face, and the boys stopped, staring at her in surprise.

She straightened, wiping the tears from her eyes, but looking at the gaping expressions on the boys' faces, she couldn't help but start laughing again.

"Not…funny! Can't…breathe!" HoroHoro wheezed, and she hurriedly stifled her laughter and helped him loosen the chain around his neck. She looked at it in surprise when she realized what it was. It didn't seem like Ren to wear something like this, but judging by the commotion he was making, it couldn't have belonged to anyone else.

With a grin, she held the chain out in front of Ren, who shook his head and mumbled something. Lyn didn't catch what he had mumbled, and peered at him questioningly. With a snicker, HoroHoro said, "It's for you!"

The smile on Lyn's face was wiped away by this comment, and HoroHoro fell silent immediately, seeming to realize that he had said something wrong, somehow. Lyn simply stared at the ring hanging from the chain quietly, reading the engraving etched on the inside band. Her mind was screaming at her to keep it, to wear it right away, but part of her also wanted to give it back.

"What a bunch of idiots." Lyn looked up at Tyson in surprise as he walked past the group, rubbing his damp hair with his right hand. She noticed the glare that Tyson directed at Ren as he stopped next to her.

"You think you care so much about her? Bullshit. I'll bet you don't even know that up till a month ago, she was lying in bed, fighting for her life."

Ren blinked in surprise at this statement. What in the world had he been talking about? They had received letters from Lyn periodically, so what did he mean when he said she'd been fighting for her life? Tyson snorted at the look of utter surprise on Ren's face. Lyn concerned herself too much with an uncaring guy like him.

To his surprise, Lyn turned away from him when he tried to smile at her.

"Stop being an arse, Tyson. It's not his fault. I never told them. I got Shinn to help me continue writing letters to them so they wouldn't know. So stop being such an ass."

Ren simply continued staring at Lyn in shock, a dozen questions running through his mind. She noticed that, but still didn't explain, simply stating that she'd gotten injured in one of her missions.

So that was what that small boy had meant when he'd asked if she was alright? Even a small boy knew what had happened to her better than he did?

Ren shook his head disbelievingly, barely listening as Lyn tried to lighten the atmosphere by saying that she would keep the ring.

He suddenly found that he hated himself to the core for having let her go on the Great Wall.

* * *

"_I'll join the organization too!"  
"__You can't."_

"_Why not?"  
"__You're a girl."_

Tyson lay still in his bed, feeling bitter over Lyn's earlier words. All he had done was to state the truth, but she'd gone and called him an arse.

"_I don't care what a chauvinist like you says. I'm joining."_

_"I dare you to say no."  
"__I guess this chauvinist will just have to be your bodyguard then."_

She was too mule-headed at times, too soft at others. Like how she insisted that those who had performed those despicable acts deserved a second chance. God knew how many chances those felons had been given, but had thrown out the window. Why, one of them had nearly killed her!

But that was what drew him to her. Ever so impulsive, doing whatever she wanted. What had started out as a reluctant responsibility he had taken onto himself had slowly become one of the most important things to him.

Perhaps he had been captivated since the very first day he'd met the siblings, captivated by a girl so childish, maybe innocent, to simply forget all feuds with a cheeky tongue. Maybe it had been the way she'd always tried so hard, even if she was the weakest of the trio.

But ever since he'd seen her expression of deep concern when she'd brought that Ren to the lab, he hadn't been able to stop a certain feeling from surfacing every time he saw Ren. He'd decided to put Ren to the test, but perhaps he had gone a little too far earlier. With a sigh, he admitted to himself that he had been a little unreasonable.

_I guess…I'll apologise to her tomorrow._

* * *

Snug in her bed, Lyn clenched the chain in her fist, loosening her grip to finger the inner band of the ring.

_Believe._

She felt a surge of innocent joy and she couldn't help but smile to herself when she thought of Ren's gestures. He was as awkward about it as ever, but that just made the feeling so much sweeter. Lyn flipped over onto her side, attempting to force down the feeling of joy, but it remained.

Guiltily, Lyn remembered the pained expression on his face earlier. It seemed that whatever she tried to do, it all ended up wrong. Then perhaps the choice she was making…would be wrong too?

Lyn clenched her teeth. She couldn't be wrong here, she had living proof in front of her that there were those sincere about turning over a new leaf. She could probably still use that technique again, with oversouled swords. She could do it repeatedly, and save so many by doing so! They didn't have to die, even if they had listened to the false promises of Nightdrake.

And she would find Nightdrake, even if she was alone in her cause, she would find him and put an end to it once and for all.

**Heh. That was long. :P That was really long. :S**

**At any rate, for those wondering where Kiboshi came from, well, he's the puppy Ren gave to Lyn for a Christmas Present back in Destiny. ^_^**

**Well, I'm updating sooner for once, but the next might take a while, with the Easter weekend coming up and all. :)**


	6. Overflowing Emotions

**I know this update comes really really late, but school's been…RAWR. . Just busy as heck, with filming preparations and presentations one after another. In fact, today is a rare breather. I'll try and get chapter 7 out ASAP, since I randomly had a few ideas (in lecture) that make me wanna really get the whole pace picked up. But there's only so much I can do when I'm already sleeping at 2am earliest every day. XD**

**And just to explain something I missed out. . Kiboshi was named Kiboshi…because…Kibo means…hope? And so Lyn wanted to name him that cos he gave her hope? Meh. Don't know. Just know I chose its name cos of the meaning. XD**

**Thanks as always to all reviewers. XD Your support spurs me on! :D Well, it really feels nice to know that there are people who like what you do! Even though I know I've still got a long way to go, please keep supporting me, okay? I'll be working hard to improve with your help. :) **

**Hm. 6****th**** Chapter and I'm still rambling like an idiot. :3 Let's just get on with it. XD**

**The story has been taking quite a serious tone so far, no? But they're in England! At the countryside! A few hours from the beach! They should have some fun! XD**

**PS: I got a twitter account! :D ade5kira as always, Imma prolly post chapter updates there amongst my other updates, so follow if you wanna. ;)**

**Overflowing Emotions**

"We're going to the beach!"

It was the third day after the group had arrived in England when Lyn declared this, over a very hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs. The look in her eyes eliminated all thoughts of resistance, since nobody was really against the idea, and Lyn herself was glowing at the thought.

The boys were more than happy to go to the beach, partly because they had been stuck in the house the whole of yesterday, and partly because "beach air was good for recuperating patients". Or at least, the thought crossed some of their mind from too many television shows.

And so it was that a few hours after breakfast, the group found themselves standing in the front garden with their bathing suits in hand, Tyson carrying a picnic basket Mrs. Stevenson had put together for them, and Lyn a basket holding beach hats.

Hao watched as Lyn looked at her wrist watch for the umpteenth time, nibbling her lower lip restlessly. She'd told them that they were waiting for someone, but whoever that person was, he was obviously late. And he probably had something to do with the reason why Shinn had finished with breakfast and left the house before Yoh and HoroHoro had even made it out of bed.

With a wry smile, Hao realized that he wasn't the only one who had noticed Lyn's restlessness. Standing next to her, Tyson had placed a steady hand on the shorter girl's head, bending down to whisper something in her ear. Lyn nodded in reply, and Tyson ruffled her hair before walking out of the front gate, beach hats and picnic baskets in hand.

He'd heard about the events of the previous night from Yoh when he and Ren had switched rooms. It seemed to him that Tyson had meant no harm, but was simply insecure when it came to issues concerning Lyn. At the thought, Hao cast a hidden glance at Ren. It seemed that the Tao was going to have more on his hands soon.

Hao couldn't help but let a smirk escape. Perhaps it was a cruel part of him which had never quite gone away, or perhaps it was the faith that Lyn and Ren would work it through that allowed him to hold that expression. Either way, it didn't really matter.

_It'll all work out somehow._

Somehow, Yoh's favorite phrase really seemed meaningful in the current situation…

Hao shoved his thoughts aside hurriedly as Tyson drove to the front gate, and Lyn signaled for them to go ahead and dump their things inside.

* * *

For a minute, the whole group did nothing but stare at the newcomer, shell-shocked. When Shinn had driven down the road as they had been loading up the other car, they'd all stopped to see who they had been waiting for, and for some reason, everyone had the assumption that it was a boy. So, imagine their surprise when a girl stepped out instead. And one who wasn't a stranger to the group, either.

Ren couldn't help narrowing his eyes at her. It wasn't that he didn't trust Hui. The weeks she'd spent with them, even after his recovery, had been more than enough to help him throw aside his distrust, even if more as a favor to Kaede than anything. But somehow, seeing her standing before them like that brought the image of Lyn's disappearing back to mind.

"What, I didn't tell you guys that I invited Hui to join us?" Lyn's surprised question cut through the awkward silence like a knife through butter, and managed to shift the attention from Hui's sudden appearance to herself, eyes wide with surprise. The group stared at her, Yoh, HoroHoro and ChocoLove bursting into peals of laughter as she simply stood there, blinking. It seemed that she was still as absent-minded as ever in some aspects. Even Ren couldn't help but grin at her cluelessness.

Tyson on the other hand, didn't look quite so pleased. In fact, he was giving Hui's back quite a mighty glare, and Hui obviously felt it, shifting her legs uncomfortably. This left Ren wondering what kind of grudge Tyson could have against someone he had never met, someone who probably had a bare minimum of interaction with Lyn these past two years.

* * *

Tyson took his eyes off the road for a second, glancing at Lyn through his rearview mirror, a small smile gracing his lips as he watched her chattering excitedly to Kaede. Apparently, an entire day hadn't been enough for the two girls to catch up, since Lyn somehow appeared to have so much to tell. Yet, Tyson wondered exactly what Lyn had been telling her friend, since, from what he'd overheard the previous day, Lyn was smoothly dodging the ugly details, like the issue of her injury.

The thought of her injury brought a displeased frown to his face. That new girl…Hui. He had seen her name many times through Lyn's regular correspondence with her. That girl…was another so called friend who knew nothing about Lyn, and didn't even bother to ask.

All the time, when Shinn had read those letters to Lyn, they'd been full of how the situation was at her house, or problems that she'd run into. And Lyn would rack her head, wasting time that could have been spent resting on coming up with a suitable reply.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Tyson tried to rethink the situation. He didn't want a repeat of the incident two nights ago, and he admitted to himself that there was this unreasonable anger that surfaced whenever he thought of Lyn suffering in silence, keeping mum about it all to those she called her friends.

These two days had added something more to the unreasonable anger. No, not just the past two days. The feeling had been mounting since he'd seen the faraway look in Lyn's eyes as she wandered around the house, regaining her footing after months spent confined to her bed. There was something on her mind, and she never shared it with him.

Even though they were currently walking the same path…Tyson found himself bewildered by her decisions. All the private talks with the branch head, the sudden idea to invite all her friends over from Japan. Those whispered conversations with Shinn, quickly and unanimously hushed up the moment he was within listening range.

When Tyson's eyes glanced at Lyn through the rearview mirror again, they were frantic, as they had been every time he had started thinking of this particular subject. He was just so afraid that she'd slip out of his grasp.

_At the very least…I want to keep watching over her._

* * *

"How's Jun?" Ren snapped out of his thoughts as Lyn suddenly posed this question to him. Hesitantly, his reply came, speeding up as he relaxed. "She's fine, still the same as always. She wanted me to bring so many herbs and abalone, they couldn't fit into my luggage, so I threw them all out. I didn't think you'd be all that interested, anyway."

Lyn smiled at this reply, not daring to do anything more than that since all her energy at that moment was directed at _not_ throwing her arms around Ren and just sobbing in relief. Part of her knew that if she so much as loosened up enough to laugh, things would all go downhill very quickly. Yet the other part of her argued that downhill wasn't such a bad way to go.

Suddenly, Lyn found herself wishing very much that the one on her right was anyone but Ren. Even Chocolove would be better than this. This feeling of hardly being able to breathe for fear that her heart would just burst out of her chest was the most unbearable sensation she'd ever had.

All at once, she was all too aware of Ren's unwavering gaze, and how that gaze probably took in the chain she'd started wearing around her neck. Perhaps that hadn't been the smartest thing to do, since that might give him the wrong impression. Although, in this case, the wrong impression was actually the right one, but wasn't the one she wanted to give him.

Lyn tried to realign her thoughts before they went any further, and glanced at Tyson, who had been silent all this while. Staring at him through the rear view mirror, she realized that part of the discomfort she was feeling had been due to the strong waves of the negative emotion that had been coming from him. The ability to sense what others were feeling came with its own disadvantages, one of them being that she could pick up those emotions without realizing it, which meant that her feelings weren't always her own.

He looked up at the mirror too, and their eyes met for a second, turning Lyn's face beet red as she hurriedly looked away. In that short second, she'd felt something from Tyson which reminded her of the other problem she had on hand. There were his feelings to consider as well. Lyn blinked a few times before realizing she was looking right at Ren, whose eyes were questioning. Stifling a sob, she resisted the urge to throw her head backward, instead clenching her fists into tight balls where they rested on her leg.

She should have just gone and insisted on taking Shinn's car instead.

* * *

Eyes closed and arms crossed, Ren tried to ignore the weight on his shoulders, yet keep perfectly still so as not to wake the sleeping girl. The position that he was in reminded him of the way things had once been, which was something he wanted to avoid with things being the way they were. With a small sigh, Ren decided that it was impossible to ignore Lyn's head without relaxing his shoulders too much and waking her, and tilted his head to look at her instead.

Which turned out to be a bad idea, as the Tao soon found out. As he looked at her peaceful expression, lips slightly apart as she breathed lightly, he found himself toying with the very tempting idea of giving her a light kiss on the lips. He tried to convince himself that she didn't quite feel that way anymore, but his thoughts kept falling back on the fact that she was, after all, wearing the chain and ring he had given her.

Still, he had seen how her face had turned red when her eyes had met Tyson's, and the memory stung. Much to his surprise though, the taste it brought to his mouth wasn't so much the sour one of jealousy, but rather, the bitter one of sadness. Once again, his eyes drifted to the chain around her neck, and he nearly threw his hands into the air in helplessness, stopping himself at the last moment as he remembered his position.

He just didn't get where she was coming from, and he didn't like the feeling of not knowing. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but every time he looked at her, the words got stuck in his throat.

Unable to fight his feelings much longer, Ren turned and bent his head slightly to kiss the top of her head lightly, lips curving weakly upward as he inhaled, taking in the sweet scent of the shampoo she'd used that morning.

Ren was so wrapped up in the moment that he was blissfully oblivious to the fact that he was getting a hard glare from Tyson, and a rather sorrowful one from Hui behind. Of course, he was also unaware of how Lyn's eyes and snapped open for a second before she'd shut them again, trying to pretend that she had never felt those gentle lips at that instant, that this was just a dream.

And what a sweet dream it would have been, except for the nightmarish fact that it was all real.

**Hopefully, chapter 7 will be up in…two weeks time, latest.**

**By the way, I know I'm focusing a lot on Ren, Lyn, and Tyson these few chapters. For now, they're the stars. :) Especially Ren and Lyn, for obvious reasons. xD**


	7. His Promise

**Damn, it's been forever since I've updated this. It took me more than half a year to figure out how to continue the story, and to get inspiration in general.**

**Thanks to all who waited so patiently, this is just a short chapter, but hopefully the next won't take quite as long as this one did. *laughs* Things are back on track now that this wall has been tackled, I think.**

**In other news, I'm currently doing a joint D-Gray Man fanfiction with my friend, under the pen name Key'n Kira. As with my style, its an OC fic, so go check it out if you're interested.**

**His promise**

Tyson shut his door with a sigh, tossing his wet towel onto his bed carelessly as he sat down at his table. He felt so drained, and he thought he knew exactly why.

Things had been fine for awhile, when the group had sat down along the beach for a picnic. But then _he_ just had to go and approach her, and they'd walked away from the main group for a talk.

Given, he hadn't been the only one with her, and it'd seemed more like he had been pulled along by the blue-haired boy. But he'd seen it, Lyn and that Ren boy dropping behind slowly, and beginning to talk more openly with each other.

And that, Tyson concluded with another deep sigh, was the reason for his irritation.

His usual look of confidence gone from his face, Tyson got up and walked to his window, and looked down to the garden below.

It was bathed in silver moonlight, and seemed to have a life of its own whenever the wind blew. It was a sight to behold, but Tyson's eyes slid right past all of that, scanning the garden for someone in particular.

_She looked worried about something…She should be coming down to the garden tonight…_

* * *

Ren leaned against the wall behind him, staring up at the stars as the events of the day ran through his mind.

He was feeling perhaps a little better than he had since they'd gotten to England, and yet, he felt a whole lot worse, and all at the same time.

They'd gotten to talk, Lyn and him, and although they hadn't broached upon the subject of _them_, Ren was grateful that she still trusted him enough to confide on certain matters to him.

And she'd smiled at him, one that was actually sincere. Thinking about that caused a stir at his chest, an uncomfortable- but nice- feeling, one he hadn't realized he'd missed till he'd felt it once again.

Despite all that, Ren couldn't deny that she'd hesitated once in awhile, as if tempted by the thought of leaving the conversation at that. She'd talked to him about normal stuff easily enough, and listened about stories of what he'd experienced the past two years, but Ren just had the nagging feeling that she was hiding something from him…from all of them. It wasn't so much that she was lying to them about something. It was more like there was an invisible line, and she refused to let anybody cross the line.

Ren looked down from the sky, and was considering returning to his room when he heard someone coughing. He turned to look at the nearby kitchen door when he realized that the coughing was getting closer, although he already knew who it was.

And how could he not? He still recognized her laugh, her touch, every bit of her. _Well, perhaps not every bit anymore_, he thought wryly to himself. His thoughts fled when his eyes met hers, which had widened at the sight of him.

* * *

Lyn briefly contemplated turning around and fleeing the scene, but before she could, Ren stopped her by asking if she was okay.

Lyn suddenly found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from Ren's, and she stifled her uncertainty by telling herself that it would be rude to ignore him, and that it would also make things painfully awkward.

With a weak smile, she told him that she was fine, and sat down somewhere near where he was seated, just not too near.

She found herself silently cursing the awkwardness she was feeling. Sure, the two of them had talked earlier, but that was within reasonably close proximity of Yoh and the rest, unlike now, where they were unarguably alone.

_Still, _Lyn thought as she snuck a peek at the quiet boy sitting at the side, _it really felt like old days back there._

For awhile, the two found themselves sitting in silence, both wanting to speak to the other, but neither really knowing what to talk about. There was so much to say, but nothing that could be said at all.

Lyn tried to calm the wave of tears rising up within her. She hated this, being stuck in a position like this. It made her so uncertain about her decision, and it felt like if she ever started to think that her decision was wrong, her entire resolve would collapse, just like that.

And yet, part of her was screaming that her decision _was_ indeed wrong. Her brother's words echoed in the deepest recesses of her mind, and had been doing so for the past few days.

Too late, Lyn realized that she had opened her mouth and made as if to speak, causing Ren to look at her expectantly. She couldn't just leave it hanging like that, she thought as her mind raced through the things she wanted to talk about.

"China…I'm sorry about back in China...leaving just like that."

Instantly, she felt a strong wave of sorrow and tenderness from Ren, which terrified her, because it felt like she had chosen the wrong topic. Or to be more specific, a topic which crossed the line she had drawn for herself.

And then, as if everything had fallen into place, a smile. That smile that he'd always kept, just for her. She felt her determination waver, and she struggled to hold it together. But it wasn't easy. Every reason she had thought of that held her decision together had disappeared. All the thoughts she'd pushed away simply returned.

"It's okay."

It wasn't okay. Nothing was okay. She'd hurt him by pushing him away, she had put her feelings before his, and even when they were reunited, she had still been selfish, and put her concern before his pain. Even though she knew that he still loved her, she had refused to say anything about it, and all because she felt guilty.

Lyn suddenly realized that she had been babbling her thoughts out loud when she felt Ren moving closer. She turned to face him, and found herself staring at his lips, which were dangerously close to hers.

His eyes were unwavering, and yet they held a gentleness that he always tried to keep hidden. She blinked nervously, not daring to let out the breath she had been holding, She could feel her heart beating wildly, and she couldn't tell whether it was in anticipation, or trepidation.

Perhaps it was because she could feel the overwhelming feeling of love that he was feeling. Lyn really couldn't tell at that point of time. She couldn't even tell where his feelings ended and hers began.

And then he leaned closer, and she stopped trying to think. She probably couldn't have even if she wanted to. All she could feel was his gentle lips on hers.

* * *

"_Why…how can you not be angry with me?"  
"…__How can I, when you're feeling guilty because you're thinking of me?"_

"_But I can't promise…I can't promise that I'll always be able to stay. I still have to-"  
"__It's okay. If you can't promise, then I will. I promise that I'll always be with you, wherever you want to go."_

"_Because that's just how much you mean to me."_


	8. Their Changing Relations

**Heh. Longer chapter this time. Was actually going to be even longer, but I thought that'd be too much for one go, so I split it up.**

**When I started writing this fanfic, I never expected I'd really get to be in Europe, the place where it's been set in so far. While I'm not exactly in England, it's good enough that I'm so close. I've got five more months to do more exploration! :D Hopefully my Visa gets settled soon so I can travel out of France. XD**

**Thanks to Rose and PurpleSkye for the reviews, even after the super long break. Thanks to everyone else who had the patience to read through it too!**

**And in answer to Rose's questions, I might make references to the beach in future, where it's relevant, but for now, no plans yet. ^_^ Nothing much happened anyway, they mostly had fun.**

**A long A/N for a long chapter. Take a deep breath and plunge into it. :D**

**Their changing relations**

Tyson grimaced as the sun filtered in through the open window, too bright for his tired eyes. He hadn't been able to catch a wink of sleep the previous night, not after what he'd seen. He dreaded going down to breakfast, and his stomach wasn't helping with its constant protests to having been kept up all night.

He let out a heavy sigh as he reluctantly got out of bed. It wasn't likely that he'd catch any sleep, and dear Mrs. Stevenson wasn't likely to have breakfast ready yet. For once, he found himself wishing that Mrs. Stevenson wasn't such a strong supporter of breakfast having to be eaten as a group.

_I don't think I could deal with them being all lovey-dovey over breakfast._

He walked silently down the hall, towel slung over his shoulder as he headed single-mindedly for the bathroom. A cold shower would bring him to his senses, he hoped, and hopefully wash some of his thoughts away for just awhile.

To his surprise, he could hear the shower running as he drew closer to the bathroom. It was barely dawn, and everybody else was supposed to be sound asleep. He simply couldn't think of anyone who would be awake at this time of the day.

He leaned against the nearby banisters tiredly, deciding against heading back to his room for the time being. He really wanted that cold shower, and besides, whoever was inside sounded like he was almost done.

While waiting, he tried to stop thinking about the images from the long night, and the feelings that came with them.

It didn't seem like either Ren or Lyn had realized that he had been watching them last night, and everything that had taken place. No, they couldn't possibly have known the feeling of dread that had taken over every fiber of his being when they'd kissed. Even he hadn't known such a horrible feeling existed, at least not until he'd felt it for himself.

Along with a lot of other feelings that being in love with Lyn had taught him. Tyson could feel a bitter taste rise in his mouth as the flow of memories continued, not listening to his bidding for them to stop.

For the first time in his life, he'd found meaning in something other than hunting down those who worked for Nightdrake's cause. He'd found himself wishing to actually protect someone, to always be by her side.

He'd found out how much joy seeing a person's smile could give him.

But it had all been unrequited. He'd known from the start, that her smiles and kindness to him were just her being herself, and not a very big deal at all. But there was just something different to knowing that, and finding out that she was in love with someone who wasn't him.

His thoughts were brought to an abrupt end when he found himself staring into the eyes of his supposed rival, _although, _he thought sarcastically to himself, _he probably doesn't even consider me a threat._

* * *

Hao felt a cool morning wind from under the covers, and cursed whoever had left the window open. It wasn't that he particularly minded the cold, but on days like these, he just wanted to stay snug under the covers. Particularly since he'd stayed up with Kaede and Hui, just sitting aside and watching them as the two half-sisters talked.

Some parts of the conversation had actually interested him, but mostly, Hao had spent his time just watching Kaede. There hadn't been anything else to do, and it had been amusing to watch her expressions shift from one to the other.

The thought reminded Hao of how Kaede had grown to be a lot more expressive these past two years. It satisfied him because it was proof that she was definitely okay with opening up to him, and everyone else as well. It also reminded him of how it had felt back then, more than a thousand years ago, when he'd fallen in love with _her._

Hao groaned inwardly when his thoughts were interrupted by a particularly loud snore from HoroHoro. The blue-haired shaman had fallen asleep long before he'd come back to the room, but of course, he wouldn't be up this early. Nobody in their right mind would.

Hao's thoughts wandered once again, and he grinned when he remembered how Lyn hadn't been in her room until Kaede and Hui had nearly finished their talk. Something had definitely happened last night, and it had definitely been a good thing. It seemed that the stubborn Tao had finally decided to make his move. He'd had to resist the urge to read Lyn's mind and find out what had happened.

The chocolate-haired shaman bit back a loud curse when a loud snore pierced his thoughts for the second time. This was a complete waste of his time, and he'd probably be better off getting up and taking a walk in the countryside.

Annoyed, Hao clambered out of bed and headed for the door. What met his eyes when he opened it however, was a very stunned Tyson staring at an equally surprised Ren.

It seemed like he wasn't the only one who had an idea of what had taken place with Ren and Lyn last night.

* * *

Breakfast was a noisy affair, as per normal. It wasn't like he had expected anything different, but the noise irritated Ren anyway. HoroHoro and Ryu were arguing about something again, and when Yoh tried to stop them, he ended up getting dragged into the argument instead. Choco Love tried to make a joke out of the situation, a joke which flopped as usual, and tried to argue back when Anna told him to shut up.

Which was stupid, since nobody argued back to Anna.

The breakfast table erupted into utter chaos at that point, with Anna throwing Manta at Choco Love, and HoroHoro attempting to throw a sausage at him but missing and hitting Anna in the face instead.

Ren sighed, and got up from the table exasperatedly. He was in no mood for this, certainly not after his earlier run-in with Tyson. The older boy actually had the cheek to declare that he was going to fight for Lyn.

Ren felt a spark of defiance at the thought. There was no way he was going to lose Lyn to anyone or anything, not after all the obstacles he had gone through to finally get her back.

He turned to her, and smiled to himself when he noticed her staring back. She flashed him a grin, and Ren observed that it was tinged with just a bit of uncertainty. Based on their talk the previous night, Ren partly understood what she was worried about, and also that it would take time for the uncertainty to fade away.

That was okay. He would by her side no matter what, and help her get over it. Although, it did seem like it would be better if he sat down and talked to her when they were alone.

For now though, he walked away from the table and out the front door, leaving Hao, Shinn and Lyzerg to try and calm things down.

* * *

Lyzerg was helping Mrs. Stevenson clean up the table after the meal when Ren finally returned from his walk, and couldn't stop a small smile when he remembered the looks Ren and Lyn had exchanged before the Tao had walked out.

By now, most of them had realized that something had taken place between Ren and Lyn, and that things were showing signs of returning to the way they had once been. And most of them were happy about that.

As Yoh had commented earlier, the two of them really did look good together. It was in a different way from how Yoh and Anna looked alongside each other, but it still gave people around them a nice feeling.

His usual serious expression snapped back onto his face when Ren came trudging into the kitchen, disgruntled expression on his face.

"She said something about having to go somewhere. Shinn's with her."

Ren tried to hide his flush at having been predicted so accurately by Lyzerg, and simply nodded, muttering something about how it didn't really matter, and that he was going to go out again.

When Lyzerg looked back on that incident in the future, he never understood what had made him decide to do what he had that day. But for the moment, he simply felt like he wanted to go along, and so he did.

* * *

Lyn's face was completely serious, unlike the cheerful expression which had graced her face just minutes before. Her eyes were grim when she finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence.

"Are you absolutely certain they've found out?"

The man sitting in front of her nodded, looking her in the eye, although his face was sad.

"I have no idea how they found out, but they know of Shinn's past connection with Nightdrake."

Lyn leaned back into her seat tiredly, all energy gone. Sure, she had been planning to leave the organization anyway, and it had only been a matter of sooner or later. But with the way things stood currently, they'd have a lot more on their plates than she had anticipated.

And that wasn't the only problem. If she and Shinn were alone in this, it would have been a lot less complicated. But now, there were all those who had helped them, like the branch head, Raphael. And there were also all those who were innocent, but would be implicated, like Mrs. Stevenson, and perhaps even the entire gang.

Perhaps due to the stress, Lyn could feel a dull ache in her chest again, something that had been a constant since her injury half a year ago. She bit her lips, turning to Shinn for reassurance, but his face was expressionless, and he only told her that this decision was hers to make.

Which didn't help at all. Sometimes, Lyn wished he would involve himself more in making decisions like this, but he only said that he trusted her, and insisted that they leave it at that.

Quietly, Lyn turned back to Raphael, her mind racing through the important points.

"Do they know you've been helping us hide Shinn's past?"

The twenty-eight year old man smiled at her kindly. He had worked hard to get to where he was, but there was something about the girl in front of him and her friends that made him feel like he could put his trust in them.

He had made his decision long ago, in case of such an occasion, and he was going to stick to it.

"I should be fine. No matter, I'll stay behind, and try to change the organization from the inside."

That line was a complete lie, and Lyn knew it. But Raphael's face was resolute, and she conceded to his wishes, although she had to fight to hold her tears back.

The older man nodded approvingly at her. She had grown, to not selfishly try and force him to go along with them. Still, she was far from hardened enough, although that in itself wasn't a bad thing.

"They are most likely going to get Tyson to try and finish you two. What do you plan to do about it?"

Lyn's eyes widened, but only slightly. She had expected as much as soon as she'd heard the news, but to get confirmation of it was another thing altogether. Knowing Tyson, he'd follow through with orders. But she wanted to have more faith in him than that.

And so, she decided to wait and see.

Although she did wonder how many more lives would be lost before the fighting was over.

* * *

Ren was wearing a very big scowl on his face as he walked to nowhere in particular.

All he had wanted was a quiet walk alone while waiting for Lyn to return, so how the heck had that turned into this?

Abruptly, he stopped and turned to glare at the small party following him, consisting of Yoh, Hao, Lyzerg, and just about all the rest of the guys. Come to think of it, the only one missing was Faust, and that was because he was back at the En Inn, looking after things there.

Ren was about to mutter an entire string of curses in Chinese when a strange sensation took over his senses, as if he had just walked through an icy waterfall.

And then, it was as if the events after their arrival in England were repeating themselves. The same sensation of being pulled to the ground, and the monstrous creatures appearing out of thin air and snapping fiercely at them.

Ren gritted his teeth defiantly. Today would _not_ be a repeat of the other day. He was better prepared, and had brought Kwan Dao with him. He smirked when he turned to look at the rest, who had each brought their mediums as well.

They were a bunch of morons, most of them. But he trusted them, and there was no better team to fight alongside.

That they wouldn't be able to use their oversouls was a slight letdown, but it had been like that during the battle with Shinn as well. A spirit possession would more than suffice.

* * *

Hao let out a growl of exasperation. Whatever this shield device was, it was blocking his control over the elements and all his other powers as well. It didn't feel the same as the one that had been used on them the other day. This must be one of the stronger ones Lyn had talked about it.

Still, his powers had been born from knowledge, and no shield could ever erase everything he had learned. There were other ways to apply the knowledge besides turning them into actual skills.

In perfect timing, he spun around and kneed the creature which had leapt at him from behind, and then, without breaking a sweat, knocked back a second one with a swift punch.

Whoever was controlling these creatures was too naïve. He could predict their actions down to the smallest detail. The only problem was that physical attacks didn't seem to injure them in the least, which meant that they would get back up endlessly.

Narrowing his eyes, Hao repelled another wave of attacks. It didn't help that the pressure pulling them to the ground was getting stronger every second, and that he couldn't even feel his furyoku anymore.

He didn't even know where Spirit of Fire was, for that matter.

And then, he realized that something had gone horribly wrong. None of their spirits were anywhere in sight.

Which was strange, since faeries and the likes couldn't be sent to heaven just like that. The only logical conclusion that could be reached was that the shield had somehow blocked off their shamanic powers.

Which would also explain the loss of all his skills, even if only temporarily.

Hao cursed under his breath as he knocked back another creature. This would be a long fight.


End file.
